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The Lowdown on Fad Diets

I asked today’s guest post author to help us out with a little research on all these different diets. I’ve shared a number of recipes from several, but never sufficiently explained how each differs from the other. I hope this helps you as much as it’s helped me!

by Lauri Larson

A number of popular diets abound these days, but which one is right for you, if any? How do we keep them straight? Which diet makes sense for you and your lifestyle?

Here
are the facts on the ketogenic diet, the Whole30, Weight Watchers, South Beach,
Atkins, and Paleolithic diets so you can decide for yourself.

Atkins

Atkins
diet is a low carb diet that recommends that no more than 20% of calories eaten
while on the diet come from saturated fat. Like South Beach, Atkins emphasizes
the importance of low glycemic index through whole, unprocessed foods like
meats and low carb vegetables. Like Keto, your body is initially triggered to
burn fat instead of carbs. Try making low carb donuts.

Pros: You can eat more food than on
most diets with no calorie counting. Weight loss can be more significant on
this diet than others. Snack bars and meal replacement shakes available from
Atkins when you are on the go.

Whole30

The
Whole30 diet is a 30-day diet that places value on whole foods only, with the
complete elimination of sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes, soy, and dairy. With
more restrictions than the paleo diet, even natural sweeteners are not allowed.

Whole foods are defined as meat, nuts,
seeds, seafood, eggs, vegetables, and fruits. After 30 days, you gradually work
the forbidden foods back into your diet slowly and with moderation.

Cons: The diet can be considered too
extreme. In 2017, it was ranked the worst diet
out of 38 by U.S.
News & World Report.

Ketogenic
(“Keto”)

The
“keto” diet is a high-fat, protein-oriented, low-carb diet that forces your
body to burn fats instead of carbs. Similar to Atkins, the point is for you to
consume more protein and fat and avoid any carb intake, including foods like
sugar, soda, pastries, and white bread. See recipes for keto quiche or keto belgian waffles.

Pros: Can be used to treat epilepsy
in children. May have anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and cancer-fighting benefits.

Cons: Can cause a drastic reduction
in energy and can cause sleeplessness. Is considered unsustainable
by many.

Weight
Watchers

Weight
Watchers has been around since 1963, but it is still a prevailing diet of
choice in America. It is a diet based on portion control according to a point
system. Based on your current weight, age, and weight loss goals, you can only
eat up to a certain, fixed number of points a day.

What
you eat is not as important as how much you eat of it; however, something
fattening costs you more points than for example, fruits and vegetables, which
often score zero points. Drinking water and exercise are promoted and also
accounted for in the point scoring system. The more active you are each day,
the more points you are allowed.

Pros: The diet makes it easy to dine
out, as points are assigned to a number of meals at various restaurants.
In-person and remote support is offered to people on the diet. Good for
vegetarians. No foods are forbidden.

Cons: The diet is expensive if you
enroll with Weight Watchers. Weekly progress is slow. Counting points can be
tedious.

South
Beach

This
diet is a modified low-carb diet that emphasizes the consumption of protein and
healthy fats, similar to keto and Atkins. However, it does not prohibit carbs
or require you to measure them, but rather measures the “glycemic impact” of
what you eat, which means any spike in blood glucose levels. See South Beach diet recipes.

Pros: Promotes long-term eating
habits rich in healthy carbs and dietary fats that are good for your health.
Reduces hunger. The diet itself is uncomplicated.

Cons: Maybe not enough structure to
the diet itself. The first phase of the diet may be too restrictive for some
people.

Paleolithic

The
paleo diet, or caveman diet, is based on a way of eating only what was
available to humans during the paleolithic era. Even though there is wide
interpretation of what it means to eat like a caveman, the diet largely
consists of meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts, where food like
grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils cannot
be eaten. Learn how to best smoke meat and cook hard boiled eggs.

Cons: It is an expensive diet. Hard
to follow if you are a vegetarian. Hard to eat out on this diet.

So
there you have it – the lowdown on major trending diets. There are pros and
cons of each diet, so it is up to you which diet you try, based on your own
preferences, priorities, as well as which diet you think you can stick with.